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Ecoterra Intl.

ECOTERRA Intl. is the Global Society for ECOlogy and sound ECOnomy, an independent, international civil society organisation (CSO), registered as non-governmental organisation (NGO), working as humanitarian agency (NGHA) as well as in development, if it is respecting traditional values of tribal peoples, their right to self-determination and works for better sustainability. We are committed to work for our common future, a better today and tomorrow on earth (TERRA).

ECOTERRA's mandate is to care for the natural environment and to safeguard and improve environmental, nature's, human and civil rights. We act in the spirit of the consequent realisation of the World Charter for Nature, the Rio Declaration on Environment, the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as other international conventions caring for all life on earth.

ECOTERRA's work is performed by an international network of activists, professional volunteers and the qualified staff. Funding and assistance to the various programmes and projects is provided by individual supporters and sponsors as well as qualifying governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental donors, thus assuring independence from the dominance of a single donor, which is essential to maintain the optimal freedom for our unbiased work.

ECOTERRA as charity is politically and religiously independent,
non-sectarian, non-partisan and non-profit oriented, an equal opportunity employer without any ethnic restrictions.

ECO²TERRA was created as a platform for concerned people, who realised that (for various reasons) most governmental or non-governmental organisations existing, can not or do not tackle the growing environmental problems consequently. In a world, where more and more environmental problems, caused by short-sighted economic ventures of people or simply by the human needs to survive within growing populations or societies in distress, are realised by insights based on advanced environmental sciences.

The degradation of nature in most areas has even not been stopped. Cases, where the negative trend has been reversed, even for a short time, are still very rare. Most existing institutions and organisations are still either strictly oriented towards the standard economic success, the repetitive collection of information, or towards the preservation of nature and natural resources without taking the human factor seriously into consideration.

The imperative to adapt into specific ecological niches, which provide people with the necessary sustainability in economic security, whilst not endangering its coexistence within an intact natural environment, has short term consequences. These are politically often not opportune and therefore shunned, which leads to the fact that existing and realised problems are not solved, though possible solutions are known. It was and is necessary to harmonise the short term economic demands and the long term ecological necessities. But, instead implementing existing solutions to stop and reverse the negative trends in environmental degradation, global consensus to care for the earth is only just discussed and mostly not enacted, thus hindering also the positive actions and processes initiated and created by locally successful activities.

As early as in the 60's, ECO²TERRA members were involved in the activities leading 1972 to the United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm. In the beginning of the 80's the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Union (EU) through its Environmental Bureau (EEB) called upon their member states for the engagement of concerned people and to create or become engaged in Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to work for the common future of mankind in terms of a global effort in environmental protection and environmentally sound economic development.

In this spirit ECO²TERRA was founded as an independent CSO and NGHA with the goal to support the increased global effort to prevent damage especially to indigenous people and their intact natural environment, as well as to assist in the stabilisation and rehabilitation of disturbed environs.

The world-wide concern led in 1992 to the Earth Summit of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro as well as its Global Forum, adopting Agenda 21, in 1995 to the Social Summit and the Global Climate Conference and in 1996 to the Habitat II Conference. ECO²TERRA was an active participant in all these conferences, contributed to the various conventions and is involved in the process to implement them.

However, though research and discussion is not neglected, the "HANDS-ON" approach is our priority and contributes that future discussions can be based on positive examples actually realised. But the gap between implemented solutions and the magnitude of newly arising problems, especially in developing countries, is widening, despite the efforts of all concerned. Therefore we will continue, based on Art. 5 and 21 e of the World Charter for Nature, as well as especially based on the Principles 23 and 24 of the Rio Declaration to secure first people and nature against degradation caused by warfare or other hostile activities and to safeguard and preserve nature also in areas beyond national jurisdiction

ECO²TERRA ACTIVITIES

ECO²TERRA's activities can range from operations in direct environmental disaster prevention and relief to long term integrated programmes and from research-projects and awareness creation campaigns to rehabilitation and development programmes. The realisation process is flexible and varies in its form of implementation according to the local conditions. However, independent from the grade of volunteer or professional work provided by ECO²TERRA, the local contribution specifically in community based projects is essential and is an important indicator showing the local acceptance and feasibility of the respective projects.

Typical projects in most countries of operation are:

ECO²MISSION to promote long-term activities for the benefit of indigenous peoples and their natural environment and to assist partners in sustainable resource research, management and development.

Safeguarding or at least shielding of protected and/or vulnerable areas, including their indigenous people and biodiversity and/or endangered species of wild fauna and flora (terrestrial and/or marine) - even in zones of armed conflicts (in situ protection).

Rescue of endangered, endemic species of wild fauna and flora from disaster areas

Rehabilitation programmes for devastated wildlands

Environmental awareness creation, education and workshops

Community oriented development, knowledge and technology transfer to ease pressure on the natural environment

Data collection, networking, environmental campaigns and public relations work

Environmental technology development, transfer and promotion projects

PEP ("Personal Environmental Project"), where ECO²TERRA enables, helps and supports individual sponsors to carry out their own self- or co-financed projects for the benefit of the natural environment and/or indigenous people.

ECO²VOLUNTEER Programmes for travellers, activists, students and postgraduates.

GOAL

The protection of life, of the bio- and ecospheres by means of environmental disaster prevention and response as well as crisis management is the overall goal of our work and rapid, direct and equal access to endangered areas and victims is mandatory.

Members as well as volunteers, associates, staff, donors and supporters of ECO²TERRA with their professional work, their personal involvement or by means of their contributions, commit themselves towards the preservation, active protection and sound development of the natural foundations of life forming the base for all people.

TASKS

The basic tasks of the Association are the elaboration of solutions up front to safeguard nature and those people, who live with it in harmony, the promotion of research concerning environmental questions or concerning adapted technologies, and the transfer of existing or newly developed knowledge into practical work, in order to:

prevent environmental degradation

safeguard the intact environment

preserve the diversity of fauna and flora

protect first peoples and their natural habitat

achieve a change in trend within damaged ecological systems

and therefore to:

maintain the optimum freedom for a decent life and a sound economy of people.

to prevent, unveil and combat oppression or destruction of people, their natural habitat or of nature itself, and

to improve the quality of life, whilst respecting and realising the interdependence of mankind with its undisturbed and intact, natural environment.

ECO²TERRA and its members thereby respect the sound cultural, social, religious, economic and political framework given in different areas as well as the applicable scientific realities, but especially the local wisdom, social customs, cultural and religious values as far as they are appropriate and do not violate human, environmental, civil or nature's rights, international laws or conventions.

How does ECO²TERRA achieve and realise its goal and tasks?

ECO²TERRA supports and carries out programmes and projects, specifically designed by the expertise of our professional staff and in co-operation with the local people concerned, for the benefit of the natural heritage and local communities in their struggle to live an independent life in dignity, freedom and peace, adapted to the natural environment and oriented towards the safeguarding of nature and creation of advantages for future generations.

Though our policy focuses on a holistic approach, the selection process (necessary due to the abundance of existing problems) gives priority to the design and implementation of specific ECO²TERRA programmes and projects, which are outlined to help:

the NATURE first,

therefore care for the future of today’s children as well as for the generations to come, and thus follow the humanitarian imperative.

In an intact natural environment ECO²TERRA is committed to assist

the VULNERABLE PEOPLE first

However, to balance the complex and delicate interrelations between people and their natural environment and to generate synergetic effects supporting the re-establishment of an equilibrium or an overall improvement of a given state of nature or local situation, while preserving fragile ecosystems and protecting adapted but vulnerable human communities, requires in most cases serious measures. They often might not appear so obviously as directly target oriented. Awareness creation in general, as well as immense work improving internal and external public relations and communications is therefore of eminent importance in order to avoid, prevent or combat counterproductive reactions caused by the misunderstanding of extra-ordinary strategies and operations.

In order to stop the further and quite often irreversible destruction of intact ecosystems including their adapted human communities PROTECTION, RESEARCH, EDUCATION and DEVELOPMENT have to be addressed in an integral, holistic way and implemented in parallel, interdisciplinary and with continuous interaction.